There are only so many athletes in the history of professional sports who are synonymous with a certain team.
In the NBA, for example, there’s Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Though, for some, Kobe Bryant is the first player fans think of when the Lakers come up. The Boston Celtics have Larry Bird, but 11-time champion Bill Russell.
Either way, there aren’t many others beyond those four since so many players don’t spend their entire careers with one team.
Even Michael Jordan didn’t retire as a member of the Chicago Bulls. But he is a rare exception, in the sense that he still remains synonymous with the team. Being the franchise’s best player while winning six titles will lead to a thing like that.
Yet, for Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, his favorite memory of MJ had nothing to do with the Bulls, as he told ESPN’s Jay Williams during a special for “The Boardroom”:
I would say when he came to play for the Wizards. I mean, I know all the championships and all that stuff. I mean, [I would] never, never disrespect or discredit those. But, for me personally, when he decided to come play in my hometown, I just felt so inspired.
Dropping tomorrow AM, a pure #MichaelJordan hoops conversation: @KDTrey5 shares his favorite MJ moment with @RealJayWilliams, ranks Jordan's skill sets, and more in anticipation of #TheLastDance. Stay tuned… #KDonMJ pic.twitter.com/BhKq6TwzQF
— The Boardroom (@boardroom) April 18, 2020
Durant was able to see Jordan in DC for two seasons. During that span, the legend averaged 21.2 points per game — just over 10 fewer points per game than he averaged during his 13-year Bulls career.
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